Technology similar to that championed by a North East expert over a decade ago is now being talked of again and could result in trains which can travel at around 350mph.

From 2003 to 2010 Dr Alan James from Northumberland fronted UK Ultraspeed which proposed a high-speed magnetic levitation train along an 800 km (500 miles) route travelling through the North East between London and Glasgow that could travel at over 300mph.

After gaining some traction following its 2005 unveiling, interest in the project faded after the Department of Transport published a white paper underlining concerns over technical risk and cost estimates.

However now there is fresh talk of a similar “hover train” line that could get passengers from Liverpool to Manchester in just seven minutes and is reportedly being considered by transport bosses.

Direct City Networks (DCN) is said to be developing a plan for it, calling it “the world’s fastest underground system” that could run from Liverpool to Hull.

Called DCN300+ it has also been described as a Maglev – magnetic levitation – system where vehicles hover above tracks and are propelled by electrically charged magnets. That reduces friction to a minimum and means vehicles can go at up to 350mph, faster than any conventional train in Europe.

L top: How the maglev system worked, as detailed back in 2006 and bottom: Maglev from around 2006 and R: A maglev train runs in Shanghai, China

The DCN plan would see Maglev trains put into a tunnel stretching across the North. Its initial plans suggest the journey from Liverpool to Hull could take just 29 minutes.

A proposal has been submitted to Transport for the North, the Government body looking at improving the region’s transport links.

At the heart of the DCN scheme is a line between Manchester and Leeds, with a journey time of nine minutes.

That line could then be extended to Liverpool and Hull – meaning it could also be used by freight traffic between the two ports.

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Rather than using long “trains”, the system would instead use passenger pods, or capsules.

DCN believes a tunnel would be the best option for its line as it would allow for a straight line and would avoid the costs and disruption associated with building a new intercity line at ground level through cities and the Pennines.

DCN has worked with Hyperloop, the company created by US billionaire Elon Musk that wants to run magnetic pods at more than 600mph.

By coincidence, Dr James now works for Hyperloop.

Dr Alan James

While Hyperloop would pump the air out of its tubes so the carriages could run even faster, the DCN plan would see the pods run through tunnels at normal air pressure.

The cost of an initial Manchester to Leeds line could be between £2.2bn and £3.7bn. But DCN estimates that the line could grow GDP across those two cities by £1.3bn a year and create 48,000 additional jobs.

A spokesperson for Transport for the North said: “TfN has been provided with information by Direct City Networks (DCN) PLC regarding a proposal to initially link Manchester and Leeds with a high speed ‘MagLev’ connection, with the possibility of this being extended to Liverpool and Hull.